Morris Hospital honors employees for milestones

Steele recognized for achieving 40 years of service

Gail Steele of rural Seneca celebrates her 40 years of service at Morris Hospital with her husband Jim at the hospital’s annual employee recognition dinner.

Reflecting back on the past 40 years, Gail Steele says she didn’t necessarily have plans to make a lifelong career at Morris Hospital when she started as a nurses’ aide in 1972. But after getting her BSN, working in the operating room, having five children, and accepting a position as Morris Hospital’s first infection prevention nurse, Steele developed so many strong bonds at Morris Hospital, she stayed.

Today, Steele is among 150 employees who were recently honored for achieving milestones in their years of service at Morris Hospital. All employees celebrating 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service in 2012 were invited to bring a guest to the annual recognition dinner held Oct. 18 at Morris Country Club. Each employee received a long stem rose and Grundy County Chamber of Commerce gift certificate.

“Your longevity and dedication has a tremendous impact on our ability to deliver the exceptional care that Morris Hospital is known for,” Steadham told the honorees at the dinner. “You are the familiar faces that give our patients and visitors comfort and confidence each time they return to us for care. Each of you has my deepest gratitude for your commitment.”

The following Morris Hospital employees were also honored for achieving milestones in their years of service:

5 years of service

• Marie Allen, Ottawa - Intensive Care Unit

• Vic Apostolovski, Joliet - Information Technology

• Wendy Appl, Morris -Wellness

• Marcia Baldacci, Channahon - Pharmacy

• Sheri Beene, Seneca - Human Resources

• Colleen Bosco, Morris - Environmental Services

• Dawn Brest, Ottawa - Laboratory

• Karen Burns, Minooka - Minooka Healthcare Center

• Sherri Busch, Minooka - Accounting

• Alison Bute, Ottawa - Speech Therapy

• Mariella Capasso, Channahon - Registration & Scheduling

• Krystle Carpenter, Coal City - Radiology

• Tonya Cavanaugh, Braidwood - Cardiac Rehab

• Cheri Ciesielski, Marseilles - CT Scan

• Karen Claypool, Morris - ICU

• Peter Collins, Wilmington - Education

• Vivian Davis, Joliet - Laboratory

• Lori Egly, Braidwood - Cath Lab

• Donna Ferrari, South Wilmington - Ambulatory Surgery

• Nina Fleming, Ottawa - Marseilles Healthcare Center

• Jessica Forsythe, Morris - Family Birthing Suites

• Amanda Francisco, Minooka - Physical Therapy

• Anastasia Freis, Coal City - Radiology

• Suzanne Gallai, Marseilles - Diagnostic & Rehabilitative Center

• Sara Greene, Gardner - Braidwood Healthcare Center

• Sarah Harris, Braidwood - Laboratory

• Michelle Harseim, Morris - Immediate Care

• Cheryl Huckabay, Wilmington – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Melissa Hurley, Coal City - 2 South

• Amber Johnson, Seneca - Pulmonary

• Kerry Kelly, Surgery - Minooka

• Cheryl Kundert, Minooka - Registration & Scheduling

• Donna Leggero, New Lenox - Minooka Healthcare Centers

• Katie Lenzie, South Wilmington - Nutrition Services

• Kimberly Lindholm, Coal City - Utilization Mgmt

• Thomas Logan, Plainfield – Security

• Marissa Magana, Morris – Diagnostic & Rehabilitative Center

• Katrina Matuszewski, Morris, 2 East/Pediatrics

• Caroljo Moore, Oglesby - Nutrition Services

• Jane Murphy, Morris - Environmental Services

• Lori Peterson, Morris - Immediate Care

• Joyce Petraitis, Minooka - Minooka Healthcare Center

• Patricia Piotrowski, Newark – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Taylor Reid, Yorkville - Ultrasound

• Sharyl Richter, Minooka - Channahon Healthcare Center

• Mary Robinson, Morris - Nutrition Services

• Mariam Rodriguez, Morris – Materials Services

• Terriann Rodriguez, Channahon - Channahon Healthcare Center

• Joann Rogowski, Minooka - Nutrition Services

• Elizabeth Rudolph, Morris, - Environmental Services

• Rachael Savoree, Seneca - Ridge Road Immediate Care

• Donna Sebalj, Minooka - Minooka Healthcare Center

• Kathryn Sheedy, Verona – 2 South

• Kelly Super, Minooka - Surgery

• Dennis Thorson, Morris – Materials Services

• Emily Triner, Coal City - Nutrition Services

• Alyssa Urbasek, Yorkville - Pharmacy

• Corrina Walker, Morris - Information Technology

• Julie Weimer, Morris – 2 South

• Kathy Williams, Hazel Crest, Health Information Management

• Akayla Wilson, Morris - Nutrition Services

• Michelle Yost, Channahon - Education

• Tammy Zweeres, Morris - Dwight Healthcare Centers

10 years of service

• Wesley Adams, Morris - Environmental Services

• Kelly Barkley, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Sheryl Bjekich, Morris - Pulmonary

• Steven Brooks, Morris - Nursing Administration

• Karen Bumpous, Streator - Environmental Services

• Charla Butcher, Wilmington - Patient Accounting

• Joan Cardwell, Newark – 2 South

• Shannen Clark, Plainfield – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Theresa Connor, Dwight - Pulmonary

• Ryan Cypser, Evergreen Park - Laboratory

• Megan Dearth, Coal City - Family Birthing Suites

• Melissa Delong, Dwight – Emergency Department

• Lanett Eddy, Morris - Cardiac Diagnostics

• Brenda Fessler, Marseilles - Environmental Services

• Christine Finley, Utica - ICU

• Elaine Gengenbacher, Aurora - Physical Therapy

• Amanda Gill, Coal City – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Bridget Harrington, Manhattan - Laboratory

• Dr.Rita Hart, Minooka - Minooka Healthcare Center

• Cynthia Harvey, Braceville - Cath Lab

• Jennifer Herron, Morris – 2 South

• Ruth Howard, Shorewood - Case Management

• Mavis Hughes, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Kimberly Illarde, Chenoa - Ridge Road Mammography

• Marlene Lebron, Essex – Business Office

• Teryl Lundeen, Minooka - Wellness

• Steven Marvick, Morris - Maintenance

• Kim Marx, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Kevin McDonald, New Lenox - Maintenance

• Lynn McGee, Newark - Registration & Scheduling

• Shirley Olson, Channahon – Materials Services

• Ronda Paap, Coal City - Recovery

• Jean Perkins, Shorewood - Newark Healthcare Center

• David Pettry, Morris – Cath Lab

• Gretchen Poyner, Coal City - Surgery

• Dr.Cesar Reyes, Downers Grove - Laboratory

• Christy Rogers, Channahon - Immediate Care Radiology

• Brenda Smith, Morris – 2 South

• Robin Stortz, Ottawa – Trauma

• Darlene Strnad, Channahon - Channahon Healthcare Center

• Bonnie Swanson, Coal City - Performance Improvement

• Jaclyn Terry, Morris - Registration & Scheduling

• Jennifer Terry, Channahon - Ridge Road Radiology

• Robin Walsh, Verona – 2 South

• Barbara Wesley, Plainfield - Cardiac Diagnostics

• Gwendolyn Whorton, Plainfield – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Dean Wolfer, Yorkville - Safety

15 Years of Service

• Chris Anderson, Morris - Nutrition Services

• Dawn Carey, Morris - ICU

• Theresa Dekreon, Marseilles - ICU

• Don Dix, Morris – Materials Services

• Kortni Emerson, Coal City - Family Birthing Suites

• Terri Feehan, Morris - Registration & Scheduling

• Jeanette Finch, Verona - Education

• Jack Foster, Streator - Maintenance

• Bonnie Glerup, Morris – 2 South

• Patricia Haage, Sheridan - Family Birthing Suites

• Carrie Hertz, Wilmington - Mammography

• Nancy Iona, Reddick - Registration & Scheduling

• Melissa Jackson-Budach, Morris - Family Birthing Suites

• Kara Jirgl, Morris - Family Birthing Suites

• Tammy Kelly, Mazon - Registration & Scheduling

• Kristen Mateski, Morris - Radiology

• Erin Murphy-Frobish, Morris - Human Resources

• Amy Peacock, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Debra Scuteri-Svab, Morris - Cardiac Diagnostics

• Robert Wood, Marseilles - Pulmonary

20 years of service

• Lisa Day, Morris – Registration & Scheduling

• Donna Greve, Seneca - Central Billing

• Mary Ann Johnson, Ottawa - ICU

• Kerry Kosinski, Coal City - Pulmonary

• Kelly Leopold, Coal City - Surgery

• John Roundtree, Morris - Radiology

25 years of service

• Lori Roeder, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

30 years of service

• Susan Engfer, Gardner - Endoscopy

• Sherryl Graham, Minooka - Education

• Dennis Perdue, Ottawa - Materials Services

• Gail Stratz, Morris - Laboratory

• Catherine Webster, Morris - Laboratory

35 years of service

• Mary Antonides, Morris – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Cathy Barry, New Lenox – 2 East/Pediatrics

• Marianne McLuckie, Coal City - Case Management

• Gayle Scanavino, Joliet - Ambulatory Surgery

• Laurie Wilkinson, Mazon - ICU

40 years of service

• Gail Steele, rural Seneca - Risk Management

Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers is the largest employer in Grundy County with more than 950 employees. This was the 12th year for the recognition dinner.